How dare the people question his lordship

The sheer audacity of some Grantville residents makes us just shake our heads in disbelief.

The benevolent Grantville City Council has bestowed upon its people water, sewer and street lights. They have banished the wretched skateboarders from sidewalks and are building a splash park. What more must be done for the masses?

Yet, apparently, this is not enough. During Monday’s meeting of the High Parliament, a tenant dared ask a question of one of the Highly Exalted Ones, respectfully known as the Great and Powerful Oz, and to his fellow Lords as Councilman Barham Lundy.

This sacrilege occurred during the period allocated to the public whereby it’s allowed to offer praise and thanksgiving for the benevolence of the High Court. Yet this foolish naif tried to ask His Lordship Lundy a question regarding the police chief. We leave out that poor man’s name simply to keep him from further embarrassment. We, too, can be benevolent.

His majesty’s response to this upstart? “You don’t ask me no questions … I’m not here to answer your questions.”

Well put, your lordship, well put indeed.

The gall. The horror. If things like this are allowed to escalate, the next thing the Holy Ones will be dealing with is an Oliver Twist-type revolt asking for more porridge. If this whole situation wasn’t so surreal, one would think these actions took place at a public meeting, before elected officials, in some far-off country like the United States.

But they did.

And it proves that the Great and Powerful Oz is nothing more than the meek man behind the curtain. The gall. Yes, the gall that an elected official refused to answer questions during a city council meeting on an issue of great importance to the city.

All this came about because of the previous council meeting two weeks ago. After a closed door meeting, his lordship made a motion — out of the blue — to fire Police Chief Doug Jordan. Lundy not only doesn’t like to talk to constituents, he doesn’t even know his own council rules. Only the city manager, Johnny Williams, can make a recommendation to fire the chief, and Williams refused to do so.

Which brought us to Monday’s meeting.

Officers with the city’s police department presented Jordan with a crystal plaque and gave council members notes and letters they wrote in support of the chief. Residents also spoke up at the public meeting supporting Jordan as well.

What has Lundy accomplished? Nothing. Nothing but a lot of ill will. The chief now wonders if he will have a job; the city manager wonders the same, having bucked a council member. Yet Lundy refuses to publicly declare his reasonings for wanting to oust the chief, and even refuses to answer questions from those he serves. If he knows of something wrong, share it. Instead, all Lundy has done is create disorder and then run off and hide.

The Oz is nothing but a coward behind the curtain.

We salute the citizens and officers who stood up to defend the chief, despite possible repercussions. You know the kinds -— suddenly not enough money for vests, upgrades to police vehicles, radars and the like. Yep, sorry, just no money.

An elected official who refuses to answer the public’s questions, who creates disorder and refuses to say why is not an elected official.

Mr. Lundy, you obviously don’t know how to represent your constituents. You are not a lord, and council is not your fiefdom. You are a public servant. Look up the definition.

And afterward, don’t let the door hit you on the way out after resigning.